This is the last article you can read this month
You can read more article this month
You can read more articles this month
Sorry your limit is up for this month
Reset on:
Please help support the Morning Star by subscribing here
A British anti-slavery charity has been awarded nearly £500,000 to tackle bonded labour and give over 12,000 Indian children the chance of an education.
Anti-Slavery International (ASI) has been awarded £485,296 from the Big Lottery Fund to help eradicate the illegal practice in Indian brick kilns where ASI says 50,000 people have been tricked or trapped into servitude.
Bonded labour is when a labourer is forced to work as a means of repaying a loan.
The charity, based in London, says those involved are mainly members of the “untouchable” Dalit caste — migrant workers from poor rural communities.
ASI funding officer Rod Leith said the workers are not paid a salary, but work to pay off the loan, and described the working conditions as “terrible.”
Mr Leith said: “Vulnerable, poor people are recruited locally or from their home communities in other states by agents of the kiln owners.”
